Au Bon Pain vs Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Au Bon Pain vs Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Au Bon Pain Franchise
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas Franchise
Investment $2,000,000 - $3,000,000$1,250,000 - $2,000,000
Franchise Fee $30,000$75,000
Royalty Fee 5%5%
Advertising Fee 2% Marketing commitment0.8%
Year Founded -1997
Year Franchised -2003
Term Of Agreement -10 years +10
Term Of Agreement -10 years +10
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Au Bon Pain Franchise
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options

 
Au Bon Pain Franchise
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees -/--/-
Start-up Costs -/--/-
Equipment -/--/-
Inventory -/--/-
Receivables -/--/-
Payroll -/--/-

Training & Support

 
Au Bon Pain Franchise
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas Franchise
Training -Austin, TX Four weeks

On-site Two weeks

Support --
Marketing -Co-Op Advertising

National Advertising

Regional Advertising

Ad Slicks, Brochures, Coupons/rebates, Direct Mailers, Emails Additional Services: Grand Opening, In-house Marketing, Marketing Research, Newsletter, Online Extranet, Press Releases Other Marketing Support: Pre-Show Media

Operations -Average Number of Employees: 7 Full-time, 60 Part-time

Expansion Plans

 
Au Bon Pain Franchise
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas Franchise
US Expansion -Yes
Canada Expansion --
International Expansion --

Company Overviews

About Au Bon Pain

Because we want to prepare our franchise partners for optimal success from the beginning, we only sign Area Development Agreements (ADA) based on a territorial market with a minimum unit potential of 10-20 locations. (We do not sell single unit agreements.) This ADA multi-unit potential enables our franchisees to build a significant business in an area with solid earnings potential. In order to be considered for an Au Bon Pain franchise, you must have the financial and management resources necessary to develop multiple cafes
Criteria include: * Open cafes in one of the listed expansion areas. * Offer quality real estate sites in the selected territory. * Sign an ADA for a minimum of 10 units. * Have a liquid net worth of $350k per unit, or approximately $2-3M. * Provide poof of financing from a bank or other financial institution. * Offer multi-unit restaurant business experience. * Offer an established management infrastructure within the market you wish to franchise. * Willingness to adhere to the Au Bon Pain system. * A strong desire to succeed, work hard and be part of a winning team.

About Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas

We want to share the quality experience of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema with people nationwide. 
We have world-wide recognition as a leader in the cinema/dining concept.
We strive for excellence in quality, service, sound quality and film presentation.
We have received excellent reviews in national and international publications because
of the experience we create with our no-talking policy and our pre-show philosophy.
We have become a household name with hard-core movie fans for our unique events.
We are looking for partners experienced in the hospitality business.